Rocket Chronicles: Book Six, The Agonizing Night
by Mikichu
Summary: LAST BOOK IN THE RC! When James reads the history of his people, he is shocked to find the history seems to end in the middle. Little does he know that the writers are still working, their inky quills bringing our heroes ever closer to the bloody end...
1. Chapter 1

**Here's the final book in the Rocket Chronicles series. Well, it's been so fun writing this... but I suppose all things come to an end. Especially the good things. T_T Anyway, maybe, if you ask me nicely, I'll continue this series... with another series, set years after the end of this one. Maybe.**

**You have to ask nicely.**

**...**

The blond figure in the bush smirked. "Boy, you guys really ARE in love! I thought the Boss was just joking." She lowered her pistol. "Yuck, you guys are too mushy for even a romance novel!" She mimed barfing behind the bush.

"Shuddup," James mumbled, blushing. "Wait... YOU'RE the assasin!?"

Cassidy and Jessie sweatdropped. "My god, you're slow..." Meowth muttered.

James silently kicked his feline companion in the ribs.

Butch rose from the undergrowth, his hair blending in with the foliage perfectly. "Hey! What the hell?! We were supposed to let him die of his wound and then come and tell Jessie we want to 'reunite her with her loved one'."

"ShutupBilly."

"Butch..."

And, while the two argued over names, they didn't notice as Jessie and James slipped away into the fading night.

...

James sat up in his bed that night, and turned on his lamp only when he was sure that Jessie was totally asleep. He took out his "Song of the Destiny", which was the song James had thought was a historical chant. He read the entire thing.

_Once, in a time of ever-raging wars,_

_Bitter notes of death and sweet rhapsodies of light,_

_Finally came together and two legends were born._

_One being of wrong and one of right,_

_Split powers of the queen of the sea,_

_Ankoku and Mizurio, twins fighting on two different sides._

_Their eyes were the only thing that would be,_

_In which who they were would truly reside._

_It seems odd that this is truly the case,_

_But back then red was thought to be a colour of fire,_

_And fire would represent hate,_

_While blue was that of a royal sire._

_And a royal king would never kill,_

_Unless a war was raging and he was in the fight._

_A king would never have their fill,_

_If it meant doing something that wasn't right._

_Hair of deep violet grew from Ankoku's head,_

_And his eyes grew more like the blood he thirsted for,_

_As every day passed and with every book read,_

_The villains were the ones he adored._

_Mizurio, however, had hair of light blue,_

_And his eyes were like blue peices of ice,_

_Despite the warmth they gave you._

_For him only good deeds would suffice._

_The queen soon discovered after their birth,_

_With his brother, Mizurio was not safe._

_She knew Ankoku would kill him so he could be first,_

_In line for the throne, first in the race._

_And then she told her children in a small room,_

_Mizurio would be king and Ankoku's fate,_

_Was undecided and while she told the two,_

_Ankoku's curiosity was replaced by hate._

_His hate was like fire that longed to burn that ice,_

_Inside his brother's eyes._

_Nothing else would suffice,_

_Until he saw Mizurio bleed and cry._

_He swam away to the Dark Sea,_

_Where Sheshe gave him a home that they shared._

_He was accepted as King by her and Mimi,_

_As well as Jaja, the third sister there._

_They lived happily there until Ankoku was swallowed,_

_By a whirlpool that shot him to the human world._

_Sheshe, strangely, felt unusually hollow,_

_Her insides burning with worry, yet her heart cold._

_And years later when Ankoku washed up o__n the shores, _

_Left the sea, and all his subjects stopped aging,_

_He was tortured and whipped like never before,_

_The crazy Jessibelle was always raging. _

"Yeah, that's what happened all right," James muttered under his breath.

_When he finally escaped from the girl,_

_He ran straight to Team Rocket, he felt he belonged there._

_He heard that they were the brutal in the world,_

_He heard that, about love, they never cared._

_He knew he wouldn't get caught,_

_In the deadly trap that the humans called "love"._

_But then he glanced at her, and he forgot,_

_He couldn't fall for this angel from above!_

_Her name, it was Jessie, she was lovely as night._

_Her hair shone like the full moon up above,_

_Her blue eyes glowed bright._

_Ankoku knew he was in love._

"The songwriting people are stalking me," James squeaked.

_Ankoku fought himself,_

_He knew he wasn't supposed to feel this way._

_The fact him and Jessie were partners didn't help._

_Ankoku couldn't stay away._

_This continued for years and years,_

_Through the times they tried to catch Pikachu._

_Then, something happened that filled him with fear._

_He tried to kill Jessie, and Meowth, too!_

_Mikeru possessed him to remind him of his hate,_

_His hate for Kayana and all the Bright Sea._

_But Ankoku hated that Jessie should suffer such a fate._

_He loved her so much, he finally broke free!_

_But, thinking he killed her, Ankoku ran away,_

_To kill himself and be with her again._

_But Jessie lived so she went out of her way,_

_To make sure Ankoku did not meet his end._

_For she loved him too,_

_And she realized he was Ankoku but she didn't care._

_She wanted to hold him until they both flew,_

_Into death's embrace to become angels up there._

_Ankoku was now dormant, his powers hidden inside,_

_And he forgot everything with a blow to the head._

_His powers awakened, now he fought on night's side,_

_But despite that fact, He didn't want Jessie dead._

_Jessie was attacked and Ankoku rescued her from Takuto,_

_His old partner from the Dark Sea._

_He told her he promised he'd never let her go,_

_Then he thought, "Oh, I hope she loves me..."_

_And it turns out she loved him as well,_

_But Jessie was really Kayana, the Rainbow Princess!_

_But, despite the fact he'd probably go to hell,_

_He proposed and Jessie said yes!_

_They ran from Team Rocket into the woods,_

_And left Janet, who was Jaja, behind with their Boss._

_Innav killed her, and then understood,_

_He had to kill Ankoku, make him take the Darkwalk._

_The Darkwalk, you see, was the walk Kings take,_

_On their way to heaven or hell._

_Most knew him as Giovanni, but that was just fake._

_Here is the real story to tell._

_Jessie got mad when Ankoku did something wrong,_

_Stormed off and threw down her ring._

_She got kidnapped, then stripped of her songs,_

_Meaning Kayana could no longer sing._

_She couldn't sing until she cried tears,_

_Which, for Kayana, was so hard to do._

_She had to cry out of sorrow, not happiness or fear._

_She had to feel sorrow she'd never go through._

_Ankoku saved her from her kidnappers the next day,_

_And Kayana, or Jessie, cried, hoping she'd sing again._

_But she couldn't, her voice had gone away,_

_Now she thought her voice came to an end._

_They ran off together, trying to find her voice,_

_Until they came to a clearing where Innav held the Nightsword._

_He said, "Ankoku, you have a choice,"_

_"Die here, or leave this human world."_

_"If you leave, I kill the girl, which will kill the sea."_

_Ankoku knew he loved Jessie,_

_But would he die for her,_

_Or sacrifice the Bright Sea?_

James was puzzled. No! It couldn't end there, could it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Hai! I was away at camp for a week so I didn't get to work on this... T.T Yeah. Songs used:**

**"Anywhere", by Evanescence. (Yeah... I love Evanecence. )**

**:::**

James looked over to where Jessie lay, the fact that they had just found this cabin in the middle of the forest baffling him. "Jessie?" he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You're awake?"

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep." Jessie sat up and faced James. "What is it?"

"Can you sing?"

Jessie stayed silent for a while. Then, she opened her mouth and sang a few words from their song:

**_"Forget this life,_**

**_"Come with me,_**

**_"Don't look back._**

**_"You're safe now._**

**_"Unlock your heart,_**

**_"Drop your gun,_**

**_"No one's left to stop you..."_**

Then, it seemed almost as though her lovely voice had drowned in the humid air. The lovely lilting sounds she produced faded, as though slowly being stolen by an invisible demon. A word flashed through James' mind, burning, leaving scorch marks on his thought path:

_**Mikeru.**_

_My possesser, _James thought, alarmed. _What do you want with me?_

**_Your soul. _**A haunting voice chourused in James' mind, the ominous words bouncing and rattling around in his skull.

_Why? I'm your King. Don't even bother._

**_You've become too weak. That Jessie girl is Kayana, I hope you do realize._**

_I do._

**_Then why are you in love with her?_**

_..._

Mikeru laughed. **_Nice comeback, Sire. I'll go now._**

The firey words left his mind.

"James? Are you okay?"

James looked at Jessie. "Yeah. Why?"

"You looked like you were in pain."

James shrugged. "I'm fine, Jess. I promise." He heard scratching at the wooden door. He sweatdropped. "Sorry, Meowth... we kinda forgot about you out there. He felt guilty as he heard a crack of thunder. As he opened the door, two sodden yellow flashes of fur darted in the room. They hopped on the large bed Jessie and James shared and shook.

"Dat fireplace you promised me betta be nice and warm," Meowth whined. He sneezed a bit and James draped a blanket around his furry friend and Luminia, guilt heavy as lead weighing down his heart. Meowth looked up and noticed James' expression. "Don't be guilty, Jimmy. We're-" he sneezed again, "-fine. A little rain never hoit anyone." He paused. "Unless you catch a cold like pneumonia and die."

"Thanks for making me feel less guilty," James mumbled sarcastically. He looked at the clock. It was 6:00 AM. "I'll make you guys some hot chocolate if you want. You want some Jessie?"

"Sure," Jessie nodded. James smiled and headed to the kitchen.

:::

Giovanni looked angirly at Cassidy and Butch, his beady glare stabbing their hearts like black daggers. "How could you? You let them get away, all because of this... this... STUPID issue with names! For pete's sake, woman, you've been his partner for FOUR YEARS. LEARN HIS FLIPPIN' NAME."

Cassidy nodded vigorously, her blond hair flying like a yellow curtain of silk caught in a merciless wind. "Sir, we're sorry, we-"

"I'm not intersted in excuses, Cassidy!" Giovanni shouted. He looked at Butch. "And you! Just because someone gets your name wrong doesn't mean you can go off into your own little world of 'I must correct them because they got mah name wrong'. GOT IT?"

Butch squeaked.

"OUT."

The two partners did not hesitate to race out of the building. When Giovanni was sure they were quite a ways away, he looked up at the glass case above his picture of Delia. He opened the case and took out its contents: A sword.

The sword was obviously old, for it had a wooden handle made of oak and coated in ebony. Despite this fact, it was sharp as could be. The blade was made of onyx that could cut through diamond if the wielder was strong enough. Giovanni ran his fingers down the blade slowly, taking care not to cut himself. When he reached the handle, he felt a groove in it. He looked and smiled eerily. Etched on the handle was something which was obviously in some sort of different language.

**Euyyami.**

Giovanni laughed ominously, his soft yet bone-chilling chuckle seeming to freeze the air in the dimly lit room. "Don't you worry, Mikeru," he whispered. "I'll take care of it myself." He waved the sword and an image appeared in front of him- two images... no, three... one of them holding the sword, another being struck, and the other weeping for the fallen. Giovanni chuckled softly, the air turning even colder. Persain whimpered and hid under the desk. Giovanni looked away from the image and the image dissolved into the frosty air like salt in water. His beady eyes swept around the room as his evil smile grew wider.

"I'll take care of it."

:::

In case you were wondering, the word Euyyami is pronounce ay-YOO-ya-mee. :D


	3. Chapter 3

I am sooo sorry this took so long, everyone. I've had a lot going on. :(

**_For all of you who are confused:_**

**-James is Ankoku, who is the brother of the Dark King and brother of Mizurio.**

**-Mizurio and Ankoku are the twins sons of Aqua Regina, the Queen of the Sea.**

**-Jessie is the Rainbow Pearl Mermaid Princess, ruler of the Rainbow Kingdom beneath the sea, also known as Kayana.**

**-Mewoth is Mynyasi, Kayana's guardian.**

**-Janet was Jaja, the third and final Black Beauty sister.**

**-Giovanni is Innav, Ankoku's advisor and the closest thing Ankoku has to a fatherly figure. He murdured Jaja/Janet.**

**-Luminia is Moonshadow, Ankoku's guardian. In her Pokemon form, she is Meowth's mate.**

**-Sheshe and Mimi have no human form. They are the original two Black Beauty Sisters.**

**-Mikeru has no human form. She is the demon who possessed James to remind him of his hate and who he really was. She is also known as "Wingdemon".**

**-Mizurio is still nowhere to be found.**

**-Misty is Nialan, Kayana's best friend and one of the only survivors of the attack on the Rainbow Kingdom.**

**-Kiarma has made an appearance; she is another survivor. Her human form is unknown.**

**-Kayana and Ankoku are sworn enemies, but they don't care.**

:::

Jessie looked down. "Why can't I sing? Why... what's happening?" Her head snapped up. "YOU BETTER NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS!!"

James reeled back. "I have no idea what happened," he lied. He knew just what had happened. "It might have something to do with that palace. Let's look." This, he figured, was the only way to find out how the song ended. To do just what it said.

Jessie hesitated, the thought of being caught and tortued again making her shudder. But, she figured, it would be the only hope of getting her voice back. She then nodded. "Yes, James. Let's go."

James picked up his locket and put it on while Jessie wasn't looking. _Please, please, let us find her voice. Please, please, don't let her be without her voice... don't let this be the end. _He looked at his feline friend. "You coming?

"Heck no! I'm staying here with Luminia," came the sharp reply.

"Fine, fine, sheesh... you don't have to be such an a-"

"James. Hurry up. Let's go."

:::

Giovanni brushed the tree branches away from his face, muttering something about stupid nature. The sword he carried was held at the ready. Suddenly, something jumped in front of him.

Giovanni stabbed, and a wild heracross fell to the forest floor, dead. Giovanni snorted in disgust. "Just a pokemon," he murmured. "Too bad," he said. "I was hoping it to be the traitor. Oh, when he sees me, he'll be sorry." A low, haunting chuckle escaped his lips, echoing off the trees in the silent woods. "He will be sorry."

A rustle in the bushes caused him to look menacingly towards a leafy shrub on his left. He closed his eyes and concentrated. _Evessus... Evessus..._

His mouth twitched in an attempt to smile. The spell Evessus was a spell used to listen in on others up to around 200 feet away. He heard voices- and he knew those voices. _Soon, you backstabber, you will be mine. The whole Dark Sea will be mine. You will no longer be alive._

"Where is that stupid thing?!"

"Shush, keep your voice down. Someone might be listening in."

_You're smart, you little weasel, _Giovanni scowled.

"We're all alone out here!"

"How do you know?"

"..."

"Niiiice. Come on... it's pretty big. Kinda hard to miss something like THAT. Let's keep at it."

"FINE. Gosh..."

Giovanni knew those voices too well. He pointed his sword up at the sky and whispered, "Summon Nighthawk!"

A black-and-gray whirlpool materialized above the sword's tip and out of it flew a bird which was just black- nothing else, with the exception of his glowing red eyes. "Nhreeeeeeeeeeeee!" it shreed, spreading its feathered wings ominously.

"Fly above the ground and tell me where they are," Giovanni ordered.

The ebony bird obeyed, and took off.

:::

Meowth smiled as his tail entwined with Luminia's. Luminia mewed softly and pressed closer to Meowth. Closing his eyes, Meowth inhaled Luminia's sweet scent deeply. "I'm glad we're finally alone," he murmured.

Luminia nodded slowly, warm and cozy curled up next no Meowth. The blanket James gave them was still draped around their shoulders. "Me too," she sighed.

Meowth's eyes shot open. "Luminia, I didn't know you could talk."

"I can," Luminia smiled. "I only feel comfortable about it around you. The humans are so strange."

"Yeah," Meowth agreed. "Jimmy told me once dat he wish he were a pokemon. I tink he said someting about us bein' really simple compared to humans."

"Yes. Humans can be very complex sometimes," Luminia muttered. "At other times, however, they can be completely brainless. (cough)ASHKETCHUP(cough)."

Meowth chuckled. "Good one. He is pretty stupid." He looked around. "I wonder if Jessie and James are on deir way back yet..."

"It hasn't been that long," Luminia said. "Only twenty minutes or so. Finding one's voice would probably take longer than that."

"I guess you're right," Meowth agreed. "I just hope dey don't run into much trouble..."

"They're very capable," Luminia reassured her troubled mate. "Jessie especially."

"Yeah..."

Luminia purred and rubbed Meowth's cheek with her own. "They'll be fine, Meowth," she whispered. "They'll be fine."


	4. Chapter 4

**OMG I am so sorry these are taking so long. I has been lazy. :p**

Giovanni sat patiently, waiting for the return of his pet, Nighthawk. He growled a bit when the crow-like specimen did not return after a short while. Patience had never been one of the dark-eyed man's virtues.

He heard a shree somewhere above the treetops, and almost smiled. "Took you long enough," he muttered, plucking a feather from the bird's tail. "Now, where are they?"

The feather started changing, not shape, but colour. It became a whirlpool of spinning colours, as if the rainbow was being sucked up into a vast tornado. Two shapes started materializing in the dead center of the feather- Jessie and James, trekking through the woods. Giovanni scowled. "I know what they're doing! SHOW ME WHERE THEY ARE!!!"

The bird swiped a grey talon at Giovanni, a sound almost like a growl emitting from its throat. Giving Giovanni a beady, red glare, it opened its beak and you could have sworn you heard a rasping, throaty voice say, _Be patient, you idiot. I'm getting to that. If you'll only listen, maybe I could actually tell you what's going on. Egad, you humans..._

Giovanni returned the bird's glare with a cold, ebony intensity. "Listen, bird. I did not give you life just to let you make smart-assed remarks. Tell me where they are_. Now_."

Nighthawk rolled his scarlet eyes and the feather in Giovanni's hands expanded into what could have been a map, depending on your definition of "map". A bluish-green star appeared where Jessie and James were and it was moving southeast.

Straight towards Giovanni.

A black crecent moon stood emblazoned upon the map in the spot where Giovanni stood. Giovanni cast a doubtful glance at his flying companion. Taking a few steps to the right, he saw that the black moon did the same. "Hmph," he snorted. "Wow, and first try, too. You're finally understanding that I don't take jokes very well."

Nighthawk's wings moved up in a motion kind of resembling a shrug, and the throaty voce came again. _I'm just not in the mood. Little tired, you know?_

"No, I don't know," Giovanni snapped. "I'm a creature of the Dark Sea. I do not require sleep."

_Right, right. Forgive my idiocy, O Great One. _Sarcasm dripped off the voice like poison. _I was just trying to make a point, Ankoku forbid._

"NEVER MENTION THAT NAME IN FRONT OF ME!" bellowed Giovanni. "Ankoku is a traitor, and you know it."

_Oh, what did he do? Break your crayons? Rip your favorite suit? _Nighthawk snorted. _You're such a baby._

"No," Giovanni said, gritting his teeth. "He has fallen in love with that witch, Kayana."

_Blimey, how long have I been gone_?! Nighthawk exclaimed. _Though, who can blame him? In human form, that Kayana's quite a dame..._

Giovanni could take no more. He grabbed Nighthawk by the throat. Nighthawk's eyes went enourmous and he started squawking frantically, waving his wings. "WILL YOU CONCENTRATE?!" Giovanni shrieked. "I'M TRYING TO MAKE A KILLING HERE, YOU STUPID, STUPID BIRD! SHUT. UP."

_Why don't y-you? _Nighthawk choked. _You're the one yelling when your prey is, like, a foot away from you._

"I'm not going to eat them, you fool." Giovanni pulled apart a shrub and stepped into the clearing.

A scream emitted from the other side of the bush. "James! I heard someone yelling. I think it might be the Boss. What's he doing here?"

"Did you have to scream? Really, Jessie. If he's there, no doubt he heard you."

"...Sorry."

"Meh. It's no big deal. I would have screamed but you beat me to it. I've never met a woman who didn't scream about something trivial, so a woman would definately scream at-"

**SMACK.**

Giovanni shook his head sadly. "Why?" he asked himself. He raised his sword. "Nighthawk, return. It's my job to finish this."

Nighthawk flew up into the whirpool materializing above his head.

:::

Meowth glanced down at the floor, still a little unsure of his mate's reasoning. Suppose Luminia had been wrong? Suppose Jessie and James really _were _in mortal danger?

_Dis is all my fault, _Meowth thought miserably.

He broke the box, which made James possessed.

James' possession lead to him almost killing them both.

James' almost killing them lead to him running away.

James' running away lead to his amnesia.

The amnesia lead to his powers awakening.

His powers awakening lead to the revealing of Sheshe and Mimi, Innav, Jaja and all the rest.

Even Luminia.

_But would Jimmy and Jess eva have fallen in love, had he never been possessed? _Meowth wondered.

Thunder struck outside and Luminia moved even closer still. "I hate the thunder," she mewed quietly. "Meowth?"

"Yeah, Lummie?"

"What would you -and don't call me Lummie- what would you do if I died, right this second?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I might just do so."

Meowth was quite taken aback. "Well, I..." Meowth hadn't really thought about it before. "...I would cry. I know I would. I don't know what else."

Luminia smiled as only a meowth could. "That's good enough for me."

:::

"Where is that stupid castle?!" After James' little "Screaming Woman" jab, Jessie's patience had been wearing thin.

"How am I to know?" James asked.

"YOU LIVE THERE!!"

"So?" James shrugged. "I recall from my days as King that it teleports every night at twelve, exactly."

**"AUUUGGHHHHHHHHH!!!"** Jessie put her head in her hands, frustrated as all get out. "I. Don't. Beleive. This."

"Believe it, lady," James sighed, his own patience running out a little bit. "Come on, Jess. Maybe it's..." He parted the foliage in front of his face. His blood ran cold. "...Here."

There stood Giovanni, a sickening smirk across his face and his sword in his hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Meowth inhaled, taking in Luminia's scent. "You smell like cinammon," he purred.

"Really? That's odd." Luminia smiled and rested her head against Meowth's shoulder. "But it's nice. You smell like the ocean."

_I'd believe that, _Meowth thought. _After all, I am one of its sworn protectors._

Luminia cocked her head to one side. "Meowth? Are you alright? You look troubled."

Her soft voice jolted Meowth out of his thoughts. "Hoih? ...Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry 'bout me, 'cause Meowth's not scared o' nothin'!" He attemped a flex."

Luminia looked quite doubtful.

A roll of booming thunder struck the night with a dark, intense ferocity. Meowth jumped and hid under the blanket he and Luminia shared.

"Not afraid o' nothin'. Riiiiight," Luminia smirked, batting Meowth over the ear playfully. "The day I'd believe that is the day you like water."

_I love water,_ Meowth grimaced, _but I pretend to hate it because I'd toin into Mynyasi if I even touched dat stupid stuff. Why can't I be one of dem?! GAH!! Dis is so complicated..._

"There you go again!" shouted Luminia. "You look like you have some sort of problem."

"I don't."

"You sure look like it."

"I sior look like a meowth, but I'm a Bright Sea guardian-" Meowth gasped and covered his mouth. "I did not just say that..."

But before he could think of some excuse, a sharp pain shot through his charm. "Jessie!" he exclaimed. "Jess's in trouble!"

:::

"What do you want with us?" James asked, facing his ex-boss.

"Oh, nothing," Giovanni replied casually, running his fingers up and down his onyx sword, taking care not to cut himself. "Maybe, if you would be so kind, however, you could provide me with a little bloodshed."

"Only if it's your blood," James spat, feeling his "Kingly" self rising up inside of him.

"Oh, you have a little fight in you, do you?" Giovanni chuckled a bit, sending shivers up both Jessie and James' spines. "I like that."

"Then you're gonna love me."

"James, what are you doing?!" Jessie hissed, tugging on her fiance's sleeve. "You're going to get us both killed!"

"Then we'll meet again in the afterlife."

"But you're Ankoku! You can't die and go to heaven unless you **_sacrifice yourself._** And you can only die when you're struck with..." she lost her breath as she looked at the sword Giovanni held.

"The Nightsword," Giovanni finished for her. "This is it. Euyyami's time to shine!" Giovani cackled and sped towards Jessie, sword in hand.

Jessie shrieked and her and James ran towards a tree.

And there, against the leafy green and shining daylight, stood the castle.

Jessie was the first to run right into it, face-first. She yelped and fell on the ground, angered.

James then ran into it, laughing a bit. Then the couple jumped up and dodged another blow, jumping in different directions.

A fatal mistake.

Jessie screamed as Giovanni headed towards her, about to strike.

_No, no no! _James thought desperately. _She can't die. It'll kill the whole sea, the whole sky, the whole world. Oh, Mew, what do I do? _

He knew.

He leapt in front of Jessie, arms spread. "I won't let you kill her! I won't let you. I love her."

"Oh, leaping in front of a loved one to save them? How cliche," Giovanni said in disgust, landing just in front of James. "And how sappy. Ugh. You're the star of a romance novel, Ankoku."

"I don't give a damn how cliche it is," James spat.

Giovanni snorted. "You disgust me. I thought that you, Ankoku, of all people, would not go soft. It appears I was wrong, no?"

"Yes, you were. Now stab me and get it the hell over with."

"Fine."

The sword plunged into James' side, and James fell to the ground. Jessie could not even scream; the air was stuck in her throat.

"Jessie..."

Jessie looked down at James. A pool of mauve blood was forming near where Giovanii had struck him.

"Jessie..." he repeated, his red eyes darkening slowly with his hair.

"Why, James?" Jessie asked, tears forming in her eyes. "Why did you..." She could not finish. The reality of it was just too much to bear.

James merely smiled. "Jessie," he began, "is my life not a small price to pay for the good of the entire earth?"

"But-"

"Shhhhh," James said, weakly pressing a finger to her lips. "Jessie, it's okay. I died, yes, but I died for you. And that is good enough for me."

"...But I love you," Jessie sobbed, putting her head on her lover's chest. "I love you."

"I love you too, Jessie," James whispered. "That is why I'm lying here right now." His eyes and hair were almost grey now.

"James..." Jessie took her head off of his chest.

James blinked. A terrible shudder passed through his body, and he was gone.

And there in his locket, on the parchment where the song was written, appeared the words:

_He decided he'd jump in front of Jessie,_

_That he would take the fall._

_And so was fufilled the prophecy,_

**_"Only the darkness can save us all."_**


End file.
